Oslo’s rental prices skyrocket

Norway’s capital has experienced a significant surge in rental prices, with recent figures already surpassing predictions in April, well ahead of the high season in late summer.

This April, the average rental price in Oslo reached 17,627 kroner, an increase from the 15,468 kroner recorded in the first quarter of 2024, business news publication E24 reports.

READ MORE: Could Oslo’s rental market finally be about to cool off?

According to Andreas Sæle, marketing manager at the rental platform Husleie.no, the spike represents a 10.66 percent increase compared to April last year.

This growth rate starkly contrasts with the general price inflation, which was just 3.6 percent in April, as reported by the Statistics Norway (SSB) agency.

Egg shortage continues

Egg suppliers in Norway are upping payments to producers to try and overcome the ongoing shortage. 

Nortura, the agricultural cooperative in Norway responsible for the egg market, has already declared an increase in payments to their egg producers.

READ MORE: Norway’s egg shortage expected to last throughout the year

Its competitor Den Stolte Hane, Coop’s primary egg supplier, has also announced it will also hike payments, according to the agricultural newspaper Nationen.

In 2023, Nortura paid farmers to cut egg production amid overproduction fears.

But following increased demand due to disease outbreaks in Europe and a weaker Norwegian krone, Nortura released more eggs for wholesale during the winter.

This led to more eggs being used in food production, reducing their availability in Norwegian supermarkets.

Possibility of pilot strike looms at Norwegian

Norwegian Air Shuttle faces a possible pilot strike as the pilots’ union and the airline are yet to strike a deal on a collective bargaining agreement.

Alf Hansen, the union leader on the pilot side, said there were significant differences between the pilots and management, highlighting a high risk of strike action if mediation fails.

Both sides, including the pilots represented by Parat and the airline’s management supported by the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO), are set for mediation with a deadline of May 31st.

The main issues in dispute include working time regulations and salary.

PST keep an eye on major property sale in Svalbard

The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) is closely monitoring the sale of Svalbard’s last private property, which is valued at 3.5 billion kroner.

Eirik Veum, senior advisor at PST, told TV 2 that the agency is involved and consulting with the relevant ministry.

The sale, first reported by Bloomberg, has attracted significant interest following an advertisement in the Financial Times.

Per Kyllingstad, representing seller AS Kulspids, noted a positive response from several potential buyers over the weekend, as reported by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).